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Published: April 2, 1997
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Nonphysician Clinicians and the Future of Medicine
By I. Oransky and Dr. Jay K. Varma
Published in JAMA on April 2, 1997
In this editorial from JAMA, then-medical students Ivan Oransky and Jay K. Varma reflect on a critical shift occurring in the U.S. healthcare landscape: the rise of nonphysician clinicians (NPCs) such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The piece explores how economic pressures and evolving care models are reshaping the role of physicians within multidisciplinary teams.
The authors note that medical education must evolve accordingly. As the traditional solo-physician model gives way to team-based care, future doctors need a deeper understanding of how to work alongside—and sometimes be replaced by—nonphysician providers. The editorial underscores the importance of adapting both training and expectations to a healthcare system that increasingly values cost-efficiency, accessibility, and collaboration over hierarchy.
While written over two decades ago, the editorial foreshadows many of today’s debates about scope of practice, healthcare workforce shortages, and the role of team-based care in managing chronic disease and improving population health outcomes.
Read the PubMed listing
👉 Nonphysician Clinicians and the Future of Medicine (PMID: 9091700)
By I. Oransky and Dr. Jay K. Varma, published in JAMA, April 2, 1997
